The ability to get funding in just a few days can make a world of difference, allowing investors to act quickly and lock in the best opportunities.I’m curious, in your experience, what strategies have you found most effective for building strong relationships with reliable direct lenders?

Provide them proof of your ability to find, fix, flip (or whatever strategy you plan to use), and then start with small amounts of their money.

@Chris Ke With $200K for a down payment and the ability to invest full-time, consider starting with a 4-plex or multiple single-family homes (SFHs) within a 5-hour drive of Los Angeles in areas like San Bernardino or Riverside.

If you cash flow $1K per month for 36 months, and then sell with the ability to pull back your original investment, would you consider that a win?

In particular, the ability to auto-sync and categorize bank transactions (similar to Stessa), easily track expenses against budgets, and streamline lease creation with lease templates is quite nice.

It seems you and your husband have the ability to make a property more desirable and I would try to stay local for the same reasons you listed. 

Quote from @John Friendas: Quote from @Chris Seveney: When buying at auction you will have zero ability to sue (and win) an auction site if information is not correct.  

It comes down entirely to your ability to commit to the deal and close it on time.

Not every real estate agent is an investor, and not every agent focuses on 1-4 unit properties, let alone has the ability to purchase them.

Credit is also going to hinder your ability to get a heloc, and lack of income for now.